Blood Ties
by Yoake Halo
Summary: Over the years the 2 swords have lived a cycle of death and destruction. An old man will see just how much damage he has done while a young woman discovers her true purpose. SiegfriedxTaki, PatroklosxNatsu
1. Prologue

**_Prologue_**

_I remember when I first met him. He was so young and so idealistic that I couldn't help but hate him. No, that isn't completely true. I was envious of his innocence. I was 22 and he was only 17. He believed everything could be set right with the might of his sword. I was jaded enough to know better._

_He became corrupted in the name of good. Listening to the stories of the Azure Nightmare made me ill. And hearing of the horrors and atrocities this good, good boy inflicted broke my heart._

_I'm ashamed to admit there was a part of me that was glad he had fallen. I would never wish Nightmare on anyone. But he made Siegfried less clean._

_By the time he was able to free himself, he was a changed man. Gone was the boy who wanted to save the world with his might. In his place was a scarred man hell-bent on ridding the world of the evil of Soul Edge._

_We met again on the evening where I was my most betrayed. Heishiro had taken the Soul Edge and ran. I knew he wanted it, but on some level, I had thought our travels changed his mind. They didn't._

_I had to fight a man I considered a friend. And in the end, I lost._

_When I came to, I looked up into a pair of impossibly blue eyes. He had come in search of the sword as well. That was when I learned about the Spirit sword. That was the beginning and the end of us._

_We traveled together after that. The need to destroy the Cursed Sword rode both of us. My occupation as a Demon Hunter would allow nothing less, but for him, this was personal._

_I tried to tell him that. Soul Calibur was no better than Soul Edge. Both swords wanted absolutes. Either way, they would lead to his demise._

_He didn't believe me. And in a way, I didn't want to believe me. Over the years he and I traveled together, I started to fall for him. Siegfried was tortured by his past, and all he wanted was to make amends. But there were times that I could see glimpses of the man he would have been. When we found Algol's stronghold I was torn by my feelings and my knowledge._

_The night before we went off in search of the Soul Edge, Siegfried and I shared one night._

_A night that I will treasure forever._

_In those dark hours, it was only the two of us. Not as warriors, but as a man and his woman. And I refuse to lie to myself any longer. I am his woman._

_But when first light came, I left him. I fought on my own to find Algol. He fought on his own for the same purpose. Siegfried got there before I did and fought the Hero King. The Heavens were ripped open and Chaos was about to take over. When he killed Algol and destroyed Soul Edge, the scales of balance were tipped._

_There was no other choice for me. And I will hate myself forever for it._

_As Siegfried stood victorious, I ran him through with my own blade. He questioned his methods as the power of the Soul Calibur slowly over took him. I couldn't tell him what I really wanted to. We both knew that the Spirit Sword was just as bad as the Cursed Blade. He wanted to use one to defeat the other, when he had to defeat himself first._

_I left him on that tower. He was encased in ice, dead to me. Both swords were gone from this world. The rip in time and space sealed up, leaving nothing but the slowly dawning sky. I ran away, knowing that I would never forgive myself for destroying my love._

_It wasn't until I reached home that I realized exactly what I had done. My cycle hadn't come, and I had been feeling ill. I went to Chie to see what she thought. It was as I feared. In leaving Siegfried to his fate, I damned the child I was carrying to a life without a father._

_In the Fu-Ma clan, unwed mothers were frowned upon. Knowing that the father was once the Azure Nightmare would have made it an instant target. So I left. In my travels over the years I made a lot of friends. I went to China and stayed in the home of Xianghua and her betrothed. I gave birth to the most precious of little girls. She looked like the description of her father's mother. But there was a darkness in her that I couldn't describe._

_I took her to a village elder and discovered that because of both me and Siegfried, a demon bonded with her. My precious daughter was only days old and a target for many._

_The only place I could take her was back to my clan. I told them all she was an orphan I found and begged Chie to take her in. I've been watching over her ever since._

_She has become my prize pupil. Of course there are a few things I find disturbing. But lately I notice the shadows under her eyes. She doesn't think I know about how she wakes up screaming. I need to find the home of Arahabaki. At this point I would make a deal with the devil himself to save my daughter. Especially after what happened to Sophitia and her family._

_The cycle of the two swords is coming around again. I can only pray that Fate will be kinder to my Natsu-chan, than she was to Siegfried and me._

* * *

Blue eyes looked over the journal he had been given. The small innkeeper stood stoically with her shoulders drawn back. There weren't many that would look at him in such a way. Not if they knew his history. "This is all she left?" he asked in Japanese.

She slowly nodded before returning to the counter of her establishment. She knew who the man in front of her was. Her dear friend spoke of him so often it was almost as if she had been on their adventures herself.

He tapped his fingers on the leather bound spine as he tried to think of a way to communicate with this woman that involved more than yes or no questions. A frustrated sigh left him as he dropped his shoulders and gave her a pleading look. "I need to find this Natsu girl. Do you know where she went?"

The silent woman's hand flashed. He ducked just as a blade flew across the inn and struck a map on the wall. When he turned wide eyes on her, she simply smiled and arched an eyebrow.

He turned to the map and saw the knife had landed on a familiar village in China. He looked at the innkeeper and nodded. "Thank you Chie," he said before leaving.

Chie's smile blossomed as he walked out of her door. Taki's disappearance had disturbed them all. Hopefully, between the man she loved and the daughter she adored, the Kunochi could be found.

* * *

Disclaimer: I own nothing! This fic is simply a product of my imagination. Soul Calibur and all of its characters belong to people a lot cooler and richer than I. I'm simply borrowing them... Oh, and I'm just making Natsu's tie to Taki and Siegfried up. There's nothing saying that she's their love child... but how awesome would that be?


	2. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note**_- Hello everyone! I just want to remind everyone that since this is a fanfic, I'm taking my own liberties with some of the characters backgrounds. Just like I have no clue if Arahabaki can really talk to Natsu, but I think it's more fun that way. It's my right. I hope you all enjoy!

**_Disclaimer_**- I don't own Soul Calibur. Namco does. I'm just kidnapping the characters and roughing them up a bit. It makes life interesting. :)

* * *

_**Chapter 1**__-_

Metal clashed against metal. By now she was so used to the jarring feeling of each blow; it had become a part of her. A grimace crossed her face when her sandals sank into the blood soaked mud underneath her feet. "I just had these fixed," she growled at the last man she faced.

He scoffed as pushed her back. It didn't surprise him when she flipped out of his reach. If he hadn't known before that she was a skilled fighter, he did after watching her cut down many of his fellow bandits. "You can get them cleaned," he growled before swinging his ax at her again. "If I let you walk away from this."

She dodged with almost no effort. Times like this she really wondered what drew her master to this sort of life. Chocolate eyes rolled when she heard horses coming from behind. "Do you really need to be any more cliché?" she asked plainly.

_There are five more attacking from behind. One is armed with a pistol and another has a net._

Natsu straightened as she stood straight. The demon inside of her wouldn't stand for her to be hurt. She would survive being shot, but it would not be pleasant. Arahabaki was a brat that way. She glanced over her shoulder and gave the men behind her a smile. "Arahabaki," she called out.

The men around her all screamed as Arababaki's powers erupted from her. A black and green mist surrounded each man and slowly ripped them to shreds. Natsu slowly approached the man that had been the leader of the bandit gang that attacked her. "I was going easy on you," she said as he stood horrified. "But now you went and cheated, and I can't let that slide." She frowned as the scent of urine reached her nose. "That's just gross," she muttered before turning her back on him and walking towards her traveling bag.

Natsu looked up at the sky and sighed as the clouds rolled by. She could remember another set of screams on another day that were higher in pitch, but just as terrified. Tears threatened to appear as she took a step and felt blood soaking through her socks to her feet.

"Come, Arahabaki," she snapped. She didn't wait to see the carnage her demon caused. She didn't need to. It was a nightmare she lived with ever since that first summoning.

_You really have to let that go_.

She wouldn't acknowledge the demon. But it was starting to grow more and more difficult since she had stopped travelling with Leixia and the others. In the past five years, their travels had accomplished nothing in her search for her master. They only wandered, helped that handsome Grecian in battling the Soul Edge, wandered more and uncovered secrets that were better left buried. Natsu needed more. She needed to find Taki.

_You want to know if the rumors are true. You don't really care if she's alive or dead. You need to know if she's really your mother._

Natsu reached a small stream and quickly plunged her feet into it. The cold bothered her, but it would shut Arahabaki up for a while. Since she needed to think, she could deal with the water temperature. A smirk crossed her face as she sat in the water and settled in to meditate.

She didn't know how long she sat there. She really couldn't bring herself to care. But the sound of horses brought her out of her inner world. Natsu turned and instantly spotted a man she hadn't seen in years. By his side was another, older man with a savage scar over his eyes and greying blonde hair. Natsu tilted her head to the side as she took in his appearance.

Patroklos hadn't changed much over the years. His hair was still a study of wild curls. His clothes still as pristine as the day she met him. The main thing that had changed about him were his eyes. They used to hold the conviction of someone that knew he was going to do the right thing. Now they held shadows that housed nightmares.

The trio staying in their stalemate for a long moment. Natsu finally smiled, she would have to get rid of them soon so her quest could continue. "So, what brings you two to my neck of the world?" she asked easily.

A frown crossed his face. "I'm on a mission," he replied. His voice had also gotten deeper.

_Poor Patroklos, always so serious. He wouldn't understand someone like you. He loves his light too much for us._

Natsu stood and was relieved when she saw that the blood was now gone from her clothes. "Mission? That sounds ominous."

His horse stepped forward and carefully sipped at the water around her. Patroklos shrugged. "We have reason to believe that the swords are calling to warriors again." He spied the way color drained from her eyes and continued. "I am having dreams. Pyrrah had nightmares so bad that she left home two weeks ago. We're trying to find her before Soul Edge or Tira find her."

Natsu frowned as she thought about all the stories Taki had told her about the two swords. Her eyes then turned to the mountain of a man that wore a dark cloak and large sword. "You're on a quest for the swords as well?" she asked as she made her way out of the water. When he stayed silent, she raked her eyes over his form. There was something familiar about him, and she couldn't help the childish words that escaped her. "Aren't you kinda old?"

"Natsu," Patroklos snapped. When she blinked at him, he took note of the dark shadows under her eyes. "This is Siegfried. He's... dealt with both the Soul Edge, and Soul Calibur before."

Siegfried. The man that ripped out Taki's heart. Natsu looked at him again, this time her eyes more critically assessing. There was no denying that he was handsome. But there was a haunted look about him. And the way he was staring at her, it was a little unnerving. She turned her attention to Patroklos and folded her arms under her chest. "I'm not impressed. But what brings you out this far?"

"We're looking for a friend of mine. If we are to destroy the swords for all time, then her skills may be needed," Siegfried answered.

Natsu looked at him. She had a feeling she knew where this was going. "Who are you looking for?"

"A Fu-Ma ninja named Taki."

**_Let me kill him! He hurt her before. I won't give him the chance to do it again!_**

Natsu blinked as she mentally tried to calm Arahabaki. "She's been gone for years," she said before going to her own bag. "I'm still looking for her."

Siegfried dismounted his horse and slowly approached the young woman. "Then it would be best if we worked together."

"No." Shaking hands reached for her blades.

Patroklos jumped from his own mount as her voice changed to the dark, sibilant tone of the possessed. "Natsu, it's fine," he said quickly. He had dealt with her demon only once before and even then Leixia had been the one to calm her down. Now he didn't know what he was going to do with her. "Siegfried and I can go on. We don't have to work together." He stopped and inhaled sharply when her body became surrounded by a green glow.

"He won't hurt her again!" Natsu shouted before launching herself at Siegfried. Growls escaped her as her attack was blocked by his sword. "She was broken over her choice! I won't do that to her! Not when I can kill you!"

Siegfried blocked and deflected blow after blow, until Natsu's ranting started to make sense. If the girl didn't know who her parents really were, the demon inside of her did. As her blade scraped against his armor, he grabbed her by the back of her top and threw her against a tree. "I don't want to hurt you," he said as she picked herself up off of the ground. "I only want to find Taki and ask for her help."

As expected, Natsu rushed at him again. Siegfried slammed his shoulder into her chest, throwing her to the ground again. The feeling of something cutting the sides of his face stopped him from going after her. This time when she jumped to her feet, Natsu's brown eyes glowed red. "Do you know how many nights I saw her cry over you?" she asked.

Patroklos readied his sword at the sound of her voice. It was completely different than what it was before. Whoever this was about to attack Siegfried, it was not Natsu.

Siegfried lowered his sword slightly. "There were many nights when I wanted to go to her, but I couldn't leave my quest behind. Now I think if I would have, things would be different now."

She attacked. When she was close enough, she would try to get at him with her blades or feet. When he pushed her away, she would throw her kunai at him. Natsu landed a kick to his chest, knocking him off of his feet and smiled viciously. Before he could get up, she planted her foot on his chest and the tip of her blade at her throat. "Nothing would be different. And she'll never know that."

"You would have had your father. And your mother would have been able to keep you." Siegfried saw the shock in her eyes and swept her feet from under her. As he came to his feet, he grabbed her by her neck. "This isn't how I wanted this to go," he mumbled before slamming his fist into her face. As her body went limp, Siegfried felt the cool kiss of a blade at his throat. "Patroklos," he said with a sigh.

"Let her go," the younger man said. A fight was a fight. But he would not sit back and let his mentor hurt her unnecessarily. "She doesn't want to come with us."

Siegfried looked at Patroklos. "She's coming with us." He shifted his hold on her and cradled her close.

"Why? And what did she mean by those ramblings?"

Saddened blue eyes looked at the girl. The journal descriptions were off. While she did have his mother's coloring, she had her mother's face. "She believes I hurt Taki," he said quietly. "And I need to make this right."

Patroklos shook his head. "She's not going to want to listen to you," he said sheathing his own blade. "I don't know why you're trying so hard."

Siegfried looked at the girl in his arms. The girl that his own actions caused to damn. "Why are you trying so hard to find Pyrrah?" he asked suddenly.

Emerald eyes blinked. "She's family."

Siegfried nodded as he placed Natsu on the ground and started to make camp. "Exactly."


	3. Chapter 2

_********__Disclaimer_- I don't own Soul Calibur. Namco does. I'm just kidnapping the characters and roughing them up a bit. It makes life interesting. :)

* * *

_**Chapter 2-**_

Natsu frowned as she heard a fire crackling nearby. The last thing she remembered was Arahabaki's rants about Siegfried. Now her body felt as if she had been in a fight. She cracked her eyes open and saw that her hands were tied in front of her. Before she could move, a small plate of bread and meat was placed in front of her face.

"You should eat," Patroklos said lowly. As he moved to the other side of the fire, Natsu pushed herself up into a sitting position. "And then maybe you can explain what happened."

Her eyes narrowed as she twisted her hands around and picked up the plate. "You know about Arahabaki," she grumbled. She started to shove food in her mouth and tried to figure out what the demon was hiding from her as well. "He doesn't like your friend."

Patroklos snorted. "I remember you didn't like me all too much either," he countered. When she glared at him, he shrugged. "I don't think you like anyone when you first meet them."

"I didn't know I was supposed to." Natsu glared at the ropes binding her wrists before ripping her hands free. She sent him a challenging look when he raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you want, Patroklos?" she asked tiredly. The last time they spent any time together he had been too focused on finding his sister.

"We need to stop the swords," he said simply. "After what happened last time, I have a better understanding of why your master believed they both needed to be destroyed."

Natsu slowly chewed her food as she thought about the little bit of information Taki had told her about her the swords. "They deal in absolutes," she said quietly. "Soul Edge wants chaos to rule. The darker, the more deprived, the better. Soul Calibur wants absolute good. Not taint whatsoever." Narrowed brown eyes looked at him. "So you don't think the world would be better off with no trace of the Malfested?" she asked curiously.

"The Malfested need to be destroyed. There is nothing good that can come from them. You can't get me to change my thoughts on that." He stood to his feet and started to pace around their camp. "But what Soul Calibur wants..." Patroklos shook his head as an angry sigh left him. "It doesn't care what harm it causes in the back lash. That sword wanted me to kill my own sister. An innocent victim of the Malfested." His eyes were troubled as he turned to look at Natsu. "I want to protect people. I want to protect Pyrrah. But I can't do that if I slay everything without a thought."

"So you're no longer the Heir to the Sword of Souls," she said as she stood to her feet as well. "I think you're better off without it." Her eyes lost their suspicion as she approached him. "There can never be a world of absolute good. Evil is needed to balance everything out. Just like light and dark."

"Did Arahabaki teach you that?" he asked. She was standing directly in front of him. If it hadn't been for that one drunken night before they reached Ivy's citadel all of those years ago, he would have been scared. While it was known to the world that the ninja in front of him was temperamental, he knew that she wouldn't do anything to truly hurt him. "That a little darkness is needed to gauge the light?"

"His exact words were, Light was needed to reveal the levels of Darkness," she countered. At Patroklos' blink, she shrugged. "My demon can be insightful every now and then." A deep frown crossed her face when she thought about the tall blonde that was missing from their group. "That still doesn't explain why I attacked Siegfried. Arahabaki took complete control over me. He's only done that one time before."

Patroklos noted the way she shivered and frowned. It was clear to him that she didn't want to remember that time. But he was confused with the attack as well. "He seemed to want to protect you and Taki from Siegfried. And when I asked Siegfried, he said that you're family to him."

Natsu's back straightened. "I don't have a family," she said darkly. "And after seeing Xiba, Leixia, and Xianghua, I don't really want one."

Siegfried carried more firewood into the camp. He frowned darkly as he looked at both Natsu and Patroklos. "Wanted or not, you have one," he said before dropping his bundle next to the fire. He saw the way the girl's shoulders bunched and couldn't help but think of her mother. "Didn't Taki or Chie ever explain everything to you?"

She hated the way he called her master by her name. As if they were special to each other. "Explain what?" she questioned in a hiss.

Siegfried sighed as he walked over to his own traveling bag and fished out the journal Chie had given him. His heart was heavy as he found the passage that he had read every night since receiving the small leather bound book. "I think you'll believe this more than you will me."

Patroklos stood just behind Natsu's shoulder as she snatched the journal away from Siegfried. Her eyes widened as she instantly recognized the handwriting. "We were given this last week," he said softly. "Since then, we've been looking for any sign of you or Taki."

Natsu read the passage and felt her world slowly crumble. "This can't be true," she said as she looked up at the man her master said was her father.

"Why not?" Siegfried challenged. "If she could leave me on a tower encased in ice, she could raise you without saying she's your mother."

Normally brown eyes flashed red. "It killed her to leave you," Natsu hissed. When she felt tender hands on her shoulders, she looked over her shoulder into Patroklos' eyes. "They both had a choice. He chose Soul Calibur, and she chose the world." She pulled away from her friend and approached Siegfried. "Don't you dare stand here and think that you're better than she is. She wanted to save the world. You want to damn it."

"I didn't understand what the Swords were back then," Siegfried said with a shake of his head. "I do now. They both need to be destroyed. I need your mother's help to do that."

Her temper snapped. "She's not my mother!" Natsu screamed. She hadn't expected the ground under her feet to rumble as she turned and ran away from both Siegfried and Patroklos.

Patroklos glared at Siegfried for a moment before running of after Natsu. He wasn't going to leave her alone as her world shattered around her. From their conversations during their travels, he knew that the girl loved her master. Natsu fashioned her entire life after Taki's. If she hadn't been Leixia's bodyguard when they first met, then she would have been off demon hunting.

It wasn't long before he saw Natsu ahead of him. Just as she was about to take to the trees, he tackled her to the ground. When she started to fight him, he growled. "Natsu, it's me!" he shouted as she tried to fight him off. When wild crimson eyes looked at him, he gently touched her face. "It's me," he repeated as the fight left her.

Natsu shook her head as she looked into his green eyes. "She wouldn't lie to me," she said in a small voice. "Not about something like this."

"What if it was to protect you?" he countered. When she looked at Patroklos, he gently brushed her bangs away from her face. "Think about it, Natsu. My sister and I were targeted because of our mother. Taki wouldn't want that for you. Especially after Arahabaki possessed you."

The shadows under her eyes deepened. "I was sealed inside of her," that dark and dangerous voice replied. As Patroklos straightened, so did she. "I protect her. When she doesn't want to face the truths of the lies around her, I am the shoulder she cries on. And when it's her turn to maintain balance, I will be the one that holds her hand as she shatters whoever is holding either of those blades."

Patroklos gripped her shoulders and shook her. "Natsu," he yelled into her face. "Do not let Arahabaki control you like this. You have to face this. Not him." He continued to shake her as he looked into rebellious garnet eyes.

Eyes that slowly darkened to heartbroken chocolate. Natsu gasped as she reached out and wrapped her arms around Patroklos' shoulders. As she buried her face in the crook of his neck, she felt his arms slowly embrace her. After a long moment, she released a shaky breath. "I don't know if I can," she whispered against his skin.

With ease, he moved off of her and lifted her into his arms. "You can deal with this. I'll be here with you."

Natsu closed her eyes as she tried to process the last twenty minutes. She was no longer the pitiful orphan that everyone in the clan believed. Her father had been the Azure Nightmare, and her mother was the greatest Demon Hunter in history. Natsu's arms tightened around Patroklos' shoulders as she thought of how he had instantly become her rock.

_And that's only until he finds his sister._

Natsu closed her eyes against Arahabaki's taunts. She wouldn't turn away from Patroklos. Just as they hadn't turned away from each other back then.

* * *

The ship the Sairen no Himei sailed into the port of Hong Kong. The captain stood at the helm with a watchful eye on the chaos of her ship. The men were all excited to find out that she would give them a fortnight in dock. They would all have plenty of time to party and drink and whore around. Little did they know, once they left dock again, they wouldn't see land for over a month.

She had to find a way to rid the world of the Two Swords. She also had to find a way to rid her daughter of the demon inside of her.

"Captain, all of the men are ready and waiting your orders," her first mate said with a bow.

Chocolate colored eyes looked at the crowd. "My orders are simple. Be back here in two weeks. We sail with or without you."

As the men cheered, she looked around the port. Somewhere in this city the key to destroying the Two Swords. All Taki had to do was find it.


End file.
